Effect of simulative warming on growth and antioxidative characteristics of Kobresia pygmaea and K. tibetica in the permafrost region of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China

doi:10.13287/j.1001-9332.201704.031

Abstract

Abstract: In the present study, open top chambers (OTCs) were employed to simulate temperature increase at Fenghuoshan site, located on the hinterland of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. To explore the potential response mechanism of alpine plants under warmer temperature, the leaf morphological and antioxidative characteristics of two dominant species of alpine meadow (Kobresia pygmaea) and alpine swamp meadow (K. tibetica) were analyzed. The results showed that length and numbers of leaves in K. pygmaea increased by 40.0% and 72.7% by warming, respectively. Plant height and leaf length in K. tibetica increased by 11.9% and 19.3% by warming, respectively. Warming improved plant growth and aboveground biomass accumulation in both species. However, warming did not affect leaf membrane permeability (electrolyte leakage), active oxygen species (hydrogen peroxide and superoxide anion), activities of superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, ascorbate peroxidase and catalase, and malondialdehyde content in both species. Ascorbic acid and free proline contents in K. tibetica increased by 29.8% and 53.8%, respectively, but no change was found in K. pygmaea. In conclusion, K. pygmaea and K. tibetica could adapt under warmer temperature through keeping a steady antioxidative status.

XIAO Yao, WANG Gen-xu, YANG Yan, YANG Yang, PENG A-hui, ZHANG Li. Effect of simulative warming on growth and antioxidative characteristics of Kobresia pygmaea and K. tibetica in the permafrost region of Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, China[J]. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2017, 28(4): 1161-1167.

References

[1] IPCC. Climate Change 2013: Scientific Basis. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2013
[2] Li L (李林), Chen X-G (陈晓光), Wang Z-Y (王振宇), et al. Climate change and its regional differences over the Tibetan Plateau. Advances in Climate Change Research (气候变化研究进展), 2010, 6(3): 181-186 (in Chinese)
[3] IPCC. Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2014
[4] Wang G, Bai W, Li N, et al. Climate changes and its impact on tundra ecosystem in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. Climatic Change, 2011, 106: 463-482
[5] Cheng G, Wu T. Responses of permafrost to climate change and their environmental significance, Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 2007, 112: 93-104
[6] Liu G-S (刘光生), Wang G-X (王根绪), Bai W (白炜), et al. Response of heat condition within active la-yer in swamp meadow on the Tibetan Plateau to warming. Journal of Glaciology and Geocryology (冰川冻土), 2012, 34(3): 555-562 (in Chinese)
[7] Li N (李娜), Wang G-X (王根绪), Gao Y-H (高永恒), et al. Effects of simulated warming on soil nutrients and biological characteristics of alpine meadow soil in the headwaters region of the Yangtze River. Acta Pedologica Sinica (土壤学报), 2010, 47(6): 1214-1224 (in Chinese)
[8] Fu G, Shen ZX, Sun W, et al. A meta-analysis of the effects of simulative warming on plant physiology and growth on the Tibetan Plateau. Journal of Plant Growth Regulation, 2015, 34: 57-65
[9] Xu M, Xue X. Analysis on the effects of climate warming on growth and phenology of alpine plants. Journal of Arid Land Resources and Environment, 2013, 27: 137-141
[10] Klein JA, Harte J, Zhao XQ. Simulative warming causes large and rapid species loss, dampened by simulated grazing, on the Tibetan Plateau. Ecology Letters, 2004, 7: 1170-1179
[11] Ackerly DD, Dudley SA, Sultan SE, et al. The evolution of plant ecophysiological traits: Recent advances and future directions new research addresses natural selection, genetic constraints, and the adaptive evolution of plant ecophysiological traits. Bioscience, 2000, 50: 979-995
[12] Dandapat J, Chainy GBN, Rao KJ. Lipid peroxidation and antioxidant defence status during larval development and metamorphosis of giant prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology & Pharmacology, 2003, 135: 221-233
[13] Gossett DR, Millhollon EP, Lucas M. Antioxidant response to NaCl stress in salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive cultivars of cotton. Crop Science, 1994, 34: 706-714
[14] Ahmad P, Sarwat M, Sharma S. Reactive oxygen species, antioxidants and signaling in plants. Journal of Plant Biology, 2008, 51: 167-173
[15] Smith AM, Coupland G, Dolan L, et al. Trans. Qu L-J (瞿礼嘉), Gu H-Y (顾红雅), Liu J-J (刘敬婧). Plant Biology. Beijing: Science Press, 2012 (in Chinese)
[16] Shi FS, Wu Y, Wu N, et al. Different growth and phy-siological responses to simulative warming of two dominant plant species Elymus nutans and Potentilla anserina in an alpine meadow of the eastern Tibetan Plateau. Photosynthetica, 2010, 48: 437-445
[17] Yang Y, Wang GX, Yang LD, et al. Physiological responses of Kobresia pygmaea to warming in Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau permafrost region. Acta Oecologica, 2012, 39: 109-116
[18] Zhao L, Li Y, Zhao X, et al. Comparative study of the net exchange of CO₂ in 3 types of vegetation ecosystems on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Chinese Science Bulletin, 2005, 50: 1767-1774
[19] Wang G-X (王根绪), Li Y-S (李元寿), Wang Y-B (王一博), et al. Landsurface Process and Environmental Changes in River Headwater Regions of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. Beijing: Science Press, 2010 (in Chinese)
[20] Yang F-T (杨福囤), Wang Q-J (王启基), He H-J (何海菊). Plant caloric value and animal husbandry production on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Resources Science (资源科学), 1986, 8(2): 24-30 (in Chinese)
[21] Deng Z-F (邓自发), Xie X-L (谢晓玲), Wang Q-J (王启基), et al. Primary study on reproductive strategies of Kobresia humilis population in alpine meadow. Chinese Journal of Ecology (生态学杂志), 2001, 20(6): 68-70 (in Chinese)
[22] Wang G, Mao T, Chang J, et al. Impacts of surface soil organic content on the soil thermal dynamics of alpine meadows in permafrost regions: Data from field observations. Geoderma, 2014, 232: 414-425
[23] Li N (李娜). Effects of Artificial Warming on Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics of Alpine Ecosystems in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, China. PhD Thesis. Chengdu: Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 2010 (in Chinese)
[24] Wang G-X (王根绪), Cheng G-D (程国栋), Shen Y-P (沈永平), et al. Research of Eco-environmental Change and Comprehensive Protection in Riverhead Areas. Lanzhou: Lanzhou University Press, 2001 (in Chinese)
[25] Marion GM, Henry GHR, Freckman DW, et al. Open-top designs for manipulating field temperature in high-latitude ecosystems. Global Change Biology, 1997, 3: 20-32
[26] Prochazkova D, Sairam RK, Srivastava GC, et al. Oxidative stress and antioxidant activity as the basis of senescence in maize leaves. Plant Science, 2001, 161: 765-771
[27] Ke D, Wang A, Sun G, et al. The effect of active oxygen on the activity of ACC synthase induced by exogenous IAA. Acta Botanica Sinica, 2001, 44: 551-556
[28] Becana M, Aparicio-Tejo P, Irigoyen JJ, et al. Some enzymes of hydrogen peroxide metabolism in leaves and root nodules of Medicago sativa. Plant Physiology, 1986, 82: 1169-1171
[29] Costa H, Gallego SM, Tomaro ML. Effect of UV-B radiation on antioxidant defense system in sunflower cotyledons. Plant Science, 2002, 162: 939-945
[30] Ekmekci Y, Terzioglu S. Effects of oxidative stress induced by paraquat on wild and cultivated wheats. Pesticide Biochemistry and Physiology, 2005, 83: 69-81
[31] Nakano Y, Asada K. Hydrogen peroxide is scavenged by ascorbate-specific peroxidase in spinach chloroplasts. Plant and Cell Physiology, 1981, 22: 867-880
[32] Kato M, Shimizu S. Chlorophyll metabolism in higher plants. Ⅶ. Chlorophyll degradation in senescing tobacco leaves: Phenolic-dependent peroxidative degradation. Canadian Journal of Botany, 1987, 65: 729-735
[33] Dhindsa RS, Matowe W. Drought tolerance in two mosses: Correlated with enzymatic defence against lipid peroxidation. Journal of Experimental Botany, 1981, 32: 79-91
[34] Shanahan JF, Edwards IB, Quick JS, et al. Membrane thermostability and heat tolerance of spring wheat. Crop Science, 1990, 30: 247-251
[35] Bates LS, Waldren RP, Teare ID. Rapid determination of free proline for water-stress studies. Plant and Soil, 1973, 39: 205-207
[36] Hudson JMG, Henry GHR, Cornwell WK. Taller and larger: Shifts in Arctic tundra leaf traits after 16 years of simulative warming. Global Change Biology, 2011, 17: 1013-1021
[37] Guerin GR, Wen H, Lowe AJ. Leaf morphology shift linked to climate change. Biology Letters, 2012, 8:882-886
[38] Leshem YY. Membrane phospholipid catabolism and Ca²⁺ activity in control of senescence. Physiologia Plantarum, 1987, 69: 551-559
[39] Xu M, Sun X, Wen J. Protection of salicylic acid on membrane damage by water stress. Plant Physiology Communications, 2000, 36: 35-36
[40] Hoque MA, Okuma E, Banu MNA, et al. Exogenous proline mitigates the detrimental effects of salt stress more than exogenous betaine by increasing antioxidant enzyme activities. Journal of Plant Physiology, 2007, 164: 553-561
[41] Misra N, Gupta AK. Effect of salt stress on proline metabolism in two high yielding genotypes of green gram. Plant Science, 2005, 169: 331-339
[42] Hincha DK, Hagemann M. Stabilization of model membranes during drying by compatible solutes involved in the stress tolerance of plants and microorganisms. Biochemical Journal, 2004, 383: 277-283
[43] Wang C-T (王长庭), Long R-J (龙瑞军), Ding L-M (丁路明). Study of alpine meadow of basic characteristic in Qinghai Tibet Plateau. Pratacultural Science (草业科学), 2004, 21(8): 16-19 (in Chinese)
[44] Martinez CA, Bianconi M, Silva L, et al. Moderate warming increases PSⅡ performance, antioxidant scavenging systems and biomass production in Stylosanthes capitata Vogel. Environmental and Experimental Botany, 2014, 102: 58-67
[45] Prieto P, Peñuelas J, Llusia J, et al. Effects of simulative warming and drought on biomass accumulation in a Mediterranean shrubland. Plant Ecology, 2009, 205: 179-191
[47] Zhou D-H (周丹卉), He H-S (贺红士), Li X-Z (李秀珍), et al. Potential impact of seasonal temperature increase pattern on the succession of coniferous-broadleaved Korean pine mixed forest in Xiaoxing’an Mountain. Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology (应用生态学报), 2007, 18(9): 1925-1931 (in Chinese)
[47] Xue X, Guo J, Han B, et al. The effect of climate warming and permafrost thaw on desertification in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Geomorphology, 2009, 108: 182-190